


Under the Falls

by Richforce



Category: Gravity Falls, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crossover, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-19 05:50:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8192560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Richforce/pseuds/Richforce
Summary: As far back he could remember Asriel Shepard was just a regular kid from the sleepy town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. But one summer he met a pair of twins who drew him into the mysteries surrounding the town. As he gets drawn into the adventures of the Pines Twins, Asriel is going to learn that there is a lot more to Gravity Falls, and himself, then he ever thought possible.





	1. Getting Your Goat

Getting your Goat

  
A brown haired child, a pair of goat like creatures, gold flowers, sadness, angry people, pain, a laughing flower, the cruel eyes of the child and a brief glimpse of something shaped like a triangle…

  
The boy woke up sweating. He leapt out of bed and ran into the bathroom turning on the lights. He was comforted to see his usual self in the mirror as he turned on the faucet to wash his sweat stained face.

  
_I don’t know where these dreams come from and I probably never will. I’m just a normal kid with a mom and dad who care about me and a house in a town in Oregon that most folks probably never heard of and will never visit. Except for these bad dreams I don’t expect much of my life. After all I’m not special and nothing interesting ever happens in Gravity Falls._

* * *

  
The Pines Twins were spending a day in town. Having stopped in front a store labeled “Shepard’s Books, new and antique” Mabel put her hand on Dipper’s shoulder, today she was wearing a blue sweater with a white bunny rabbit.

  
“Ok bro, I’m getting a mani/petti with the girls and we’re going to look awesome! Have fun with looking for new nerd books!”

  
Dipper removed the journal from his vest. “First Mabel they are not nerd books, they’re preteen mystery novels. Second I’m here to look for clues on the mysteries of Gravity Falls. The library has nothing even remotely connected to the strange things in town or any clues on who wrote the journal. This shop may have old manuscripts or something that could lead us one step closer to solving these mysteries.”

  
Mabel sighed. “Dipper, you can’t just keep looking for weird stuff by yourself all summer. Why don’t you make new friends like I did with Waddles, Candy and Grenda?”

  
Dipper turned to enter the shop. “Mabel I trust you but whoever wrote this journal was being watched. Anyone else in town could be after it for something bad. Remember what the journal said, trust no one.”

  
As Dipper opened the door Mabel went down the street. Inside he was greeted by a man with short reddish brown hear and prominent chin wearing a pink polo and khakis. “Welcome to Shepard’s, how may I help you today?”

  
Dipper turned to the counter. “I’m looking for some books on the history of Gravity Falls, or anything about monsters or magic.”

  
“I think I know what you want.” The man took a book from behind the counter and gave it to Dipper, the cover and the image of a gothic building and a girl riding a magic carpet. “The Figswick Academy series, my son’s favorite. It’s about some children around your age who go to a school for wizards.”

  
“Uh, actually I was looking for something not quite as recent. Maybe thirty to a hundred and fifty years ago?”

  
“We might have something in the back but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

  
“Thanks anyway.”

  
Dipper weaved in and out of the shelves. “Oliver Twist, 2nd edition. How to Polish Your Hitching Post. Looks like I’m not going to find anything here…”

  
Dipper was still examining the books when he suddenly crashed into someone as he turned a blind corner. Dipper dropped the journal as a number of cards were spread across the floor.  Dipper looked up and saw a platinum blonde haired boy wearing a green and yellow striped long sleeve shirt with black pants rubbing his head.

  
“I’m so sorry!” the boy said. “I didn’t mean to knock you down!”

  
Dipper laughed a little as he put his journal back in his vest. “It’s ok, I was the one who wasn’t looking where he was going.”

  
The boy had started to pick up the cards he dropped. As Dipper knelt down to help him he noticed the designs on the cards. “Whoa, you play the Magi Clash TCG?!”

  
The boy blushed and tried to look away. “Just a little at the comic book store, usually I don’t have someone to play with. Do you play?”

  
“Yes, but I haven’t had anyone to play it with all summer!”

  
The boy smiled. “Something tells me that isn’t what brought you here.”

  
Dipper began to get a little sweaty. “Well to tell the truth I was looking for books on monsters, magic and other weird things. Something in non-fiction.”

  
“Sorry but the only stuff like that I’ve seen like that are the Figswick books. It’d be cool if any of that was real, but even if it was it’d be far away from a boring town like Gravity Falls.”

  
Dipper laughed nervously. “Yeah, far away.” He reached out his hand. “My name’s Mason Pines, but everyone calls me Dipper.”

  
The boy slowly took Dipper’s hand. “Howdy, I’m Asriel Shepard, my dad owns the store.”

  
“Hey, maybe a little later we could play a couple games of Magi Clash?”

  
“Ok, let me ask Dad first.”

  
The two boys came back to the front counter where Asriel’s father was talking to a woman with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and olive-colored skin wearing a blue collared blouse, dark turquoise pants with a blue headband and gold-colored stud earrings.

  
“Mom, Dad,” said Asriel. “This is Dipper, can he come over so we can play cards?”

  
The woman knelt down and put her hand on Asriel’s shoulder. “Oh sorry sweetie, your Father and I have book club tonight.”

  
Asriel looked down at his feet. “I know, no guests in the house while you’re out.”

  
Dipper then looked at the two adults. “Why not have Asriel come to my place instead? I’m staying at the Mystery Shack over on Gopher Road.”

  
“Stan Pine’s place?” said Asriel’s dad. “I suppose it’s ok as long as you’re back before dark, and you don’t buy anything Mr. Pines is selling until we have good look at it.”

  
Asriel’s face beamed with excitement. “Mom, Dad you’re the best! I’m going home to bring some snacks and a book, see you later Dipper!”

  
After Asriel left Mrs. Shepard smiled. “You know Dipper we’d like to thank you inviting Asriel over. He’s really shy and has a hard time sticking up for himself. It means a lot to us that you’re letting him come out of his shell.”

  
Dipper blushed a bit. “No problem, it wouldn’t be the hardest thing I’ve done this summer. I better get home and get things ready, nice meeting you!”  
Dipper went outside running into the shop door in the process, after shaking the embarrassment off he left.

* * *

  
A couple hours later back at the Mystery Shack Dipper was arranging a play mat on the floor of his and Mabel’s attic room. Mabel was reading an issue of Pre-Teen Beat magazine. “I’d play with you Dipper, but you didn’t like me trying to put glitter on your cards.”

  
Dipper continued by putting a deck on the mat and then moving on to arranging a large bottle of Pitt cola next to it. “That guy I told you about, Asriel, is coming over and I want to make a prefect first impression. Should the soda be a foot away or a yard? Better make it a yard in case of spillage.”

  
“Dipper I’m glad you’re making a new friend here, but take a page from the book of Mabel. Just make him feel welcome, going all crazy about details will just make you seem like an obsessive weirdo.”

  
Dipper however was still setting things up. “Should we dive right into the game or do I ask him about his opinion on Bigfoot first?” The sound of a bicycle bell came from out the window. “That must him!”

  
Mabel followed Dipper to window just in time to see Asriel take off his bike helmet.

  
“Dipper, you never said he was a hottie!”

  
Dipper tuned to Mabel. “No way! You’re not ruining this by making him one of your summer romance disasters!”

  
“Disasters?! Sure I may not have found ‘the one’ yet but I wouldn’t say they were disasters.”

  
“What about the guy who turned out to be a bunch of Gnomes or the one who nearly killed me with a magic amulet?!”

  
“Oh sure bring up Gideon!”

  
“All I’m saying is that you come on strong and Asriel is a bit sensitive. So please dial your personality back until he’s comfortable.”

  
“Sensitive?” Mabel said whispering to herself. “He’s perfect.”

* * *

  
For the first time in his life Asriel stepped into the local tourist trap known as the Mystery Shack. Entering the gift shop his curiosity was spiked by the door marked “museum” and found himself wandering through a hallway of oddities. “Man this stuff would be so cool if it wasn’t fake.”

  
Rounding a corner Asriel found a tour group being led by an old man in a fez that Asriel assumed was Dipper’s great uncle Stan that his parent’s warned him about.

  
“And now for the Mystery Shack’s newest attraction!” said Stan. “I have filled this shack with oddities and wonderments from all around the world, but none come close to this next exhibit! At severe risk to life and limb I have managed to obtain this one of a kind specimen, proof to the urban legend! Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the remains of El Chupacabra!”

  
Stan pulled a sheet off of a reptilian looking creature with spines along it’s back.

  
“So terrifying!”

  
“No it’s not,” said Asriel. “It’s just a stuffed Doberman with alligator skin and porcupine quills stuck on its back.”

  
The gathered crowd started to mutter and Stan was sweating. “Tell you folks what, we have a special today in the gift shop! Buy one, get one!”

  
The tourists seemed pleased and continued down the hall. “But that just means…”

  
Stan clasped his hand around Asriel’s mouth until the crowd was out of sight then fixed him with a stern glare. “Are you trying to put me out of business?! I don’t recall you paying for the tour so you have three seconds before I call the cops!”

  
Asriel teared up. “I’m sorry! I just wanted to see Dipper, then I saw you had a museum…”

  
“Whoa kid, turn down the water works! Just take the next door on the left and head up the stairs twice, you can’t miss it!”

  
Asriel rubbed the tears from his eyes. “Thank you Mister Pines.”

  
“Just know when to shut your yap from now on. Also try not be the world’s doormat, maybe throw a cheap shot when nobody’s looking.”

  
“Ok, I’ll be going now.”

  
Asriel followed Stan’s directions and on climbing the second set of stairs came face to face with a girl wearing a bunny sweater.

  
“Ah!”

  
“Hi, I’m Mabel! Do you like puppies and kittens?! I have them on my nails!”

  
Mable put her nails painted to look like cute animals extremely close to Asriel’s face.

  
“I-I-I…”

  
Dipper came in from a door on the other side of the room. “Hey Asriel! I see you met Mable, but she has to go now!” Dipper pulled Asriel thought the door then closed and locked it. “Sorry about that, I’m afraid Mabel has picked you out as her latest crush.”

  
“Your family is… a little intense,” said Asriel. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

  
“Hey, man we’ll take it nice and easy from here on out. How about we start with a friendly game of Magi Clash?”

  
Asriel smiled.

* * *

A short time later the two boys were deep into their game.

  
“Ok, my turn again,” said Dipper. “I draw and send a card in my hand to the energy zone so I can draw again. Now I’ll summon Dragon Lancer and tap four cards in my energy zone to cast Electro Orb defeating your Burly Troll. Since Dragon Lancer has summoning sickness my Shield Swordsman attacks you directly.”

  
Asriel removed a chip from his side of the mat. “I take damage knocking out my third vitality point,” said Asriel. “You’re halfway to winning.”

  
Dipper leaned back against his bed. “You’re not making easy for me, ok my turn’s over show me what you got.”

  
Asriel put his hand down however. “You know you’re pretty lucky Dipper, having a twin and a great uncle. Makes me wish I knew more about my birth family.”

  
Dipper put down his hand as well. “You were adopted? I mean we don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  
“No it’s fine right now, you feel more approachable to me for some reason.” Asriel gave a sigh. “Truth is my mom and dad found me out in the woods about five years ago. I had no memory, no I.D., only the clothes on my back and this.” Asriel took out a heart shaped pendant that had his name engraved on it. “I’ve never taken it off since, I’ll probably never know who my birth parents were but at least I’ll always have something of them.” Asriel started to blush. “Not that Mom and Dad aren’t great! It’s just…”

  
“It’s mystery you can’t help but try to solve,” said Dipper. “I know how that feels.”

  
“What do you mean?”

  
Dipper started to sweat. “Well, it’s nothing really…”

  
“Come on, I showed you my big secret. Only fair you tell me yours.”

  
Dipper looked around. “Ok, but promise not to tell anyone.”

  
“I promise.”

  
Dipper took the journal from his vest and gently handed it to Asriel. “I found this journal in the woods around here. It details a whole lot of strange things and creatures right here in Gravity Falls. I’ve seen magic and monsters with my own eyes and I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of this town, that’s why I was in the shop today. I must sound like a nutcase huh?”

  
Asriel looked through a few pages. “I want to believe all this stuff is true, but in Gravity Falls? I admit some of the folks here can be odd, but you just notice the eccentrics more in small towns. Still if you wanted to lie to me, you’d have come up with a better one than this.”

  
“So we’re friends? Even with my sister crushing on you?”

  
Asriel blushed. “If you want to be. As for Mabel she seems nice, but a little…forward. As a friend of course she’s your sister. But there’s someone else I like, even if she doesn’t know I exist.”

  
“Been there, but we’re making progress.”

  
The window opened from the outside as Mabel came in surprising the two boys. “If you call getting sweaty when you’re near Wendy progress.”

  
Dipper stood up. “There’s this wonderful new thing Mabel, it’s called ‘knocking on the door and coming in like a normal person’!”

  
Mabel walked over to Asriel. “Normal is overrated. So Asriel I hear you’re sensitive, want to talk about feelings? Do you like eighties songs? Arts and crafts? How about Duck-tective? Want to meet my pig?!”

  
Mabel lifted Waddles up to Asriel’s face which the pig immediately began licking. “Hey, cut it out!”

  
Dipper came between the two. “Mabel you’re going to freak him out!”

  
Mabel put Waddles down on the floor. “Hey you don’t have the monopoly on Asriel!”

  
“You told me to make friends with people our age in this town!”

  
“There’s nothing saying he can’t be your friend and my boyfriend!”

  
“Yes there is! He said he’s not interested in you!”

  
“Well not if you don’t get him to know me!”

  
Mabel pushed Dipper who dragged her to the floor with him. The two started rolling around wrestling with each other.

  
Asriel was visibly upset. “Guys please stop fighting!”

  
Asriel slowly moved a little closer when Mabel unknowingly grabbed Asriel’s pendant. The struggle undid the pendant’s clasp. As the pendant came away in Mabel’s hand Asriel gave a subtle glow.

  
On seeing the glow, the Pines twin stopped their fight and stared at Asriel. When the glow faded Asriel’s skin was completely covered in soft white fur, his shoes vanished as his feet and hands now resembled large paws. But what changed the most was his face and head now looking like a Nubian goat with fangs and stubby little horns.

  
Asriel stared at his now unfamiliar hands. “I…I…” As his breathing sharpened and eyes widened he and the Pines Twins gave the obvious reaction.

  
“AHHHHH!”

  
“AHHHHH!”

  
“AHHHHH!”

  
“Could you kids keep it down up there?!” Stan yelled from the floor below. “I’m trying to trim my ear hair!”

  
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

* * *

  
Looking into Mabel’s hand mirror the full weight of Asriel’s transformation set in. “What, what did you two do to me?!”

  
“Ok don’t panic,” said Dipper as he started turning pages in the journal. “I might be able to find a cure.”

  
“In the meantime why don’t you calm down with some music from public access radio?” Mabel turned on a boombox.

  
“Your life’s in ruins!” Robbie Valentino sang from the boombox. “You’re at the end of your rope!” Mabel turned the radio off.

  
“Calm down!?” said Asriel. “Calm down?! I’m a freak! I can never show my face in town or see my mom and dad ever again!”

  
“It’s not that bad, I’m sure they’ll love you no matter what!”

  
“And then what?! Hide in our basement for the rest of my life?!”

  
“Dipper have you found anything yet?”

  
“Let’s see here,” Dipper said as he continued to turn pages. “Fairies, mole people, exorcisms, the secret language of beavers?”

  
“Oh yeah like beavers are going to get me out of this!” said Asriel. The tears were now running freely down his face. “I should have known, every time I open up to someone I get hurt or laughed at! All right world I can take a hint! I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life!”

  
Asriel then ran out of the room as fast as his new legs could carry him.

  
“Asriel come back!” yelled Dipper.

  
The twins ran down the stairs in pursuit and found Soos cleaning a mirror. “Hey dudes,” said the handyman. “I saw this goat kid run out of the shack and into the woods like his psyche was broken by the thoughtlessness of a couple of jerks.”

  
The twins looked at the ground. “That’d be us,” said Dipper. “We we’re fighting over this kid we’ve just met, somehow turned him into what you saw and scared him off.”

  
Mabel picked up the heart pendant that Asriel dropped. “And the only thing we have left of Asriel is this necklace.” Mabel put the pendant around her neck and a soft glow lit the room for a few moments.

  
Dipper and Soos stared at Mabel. “What’s with that look guys?”

  
“Oh, nothing Mabel,” Dipper said with a nervous laugh. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine…”

  
“Just look in the mirror,” said Soos.

  
Mabel turned saw her reflection had shown she had undergone the same transformation Asriel had.

  
“Waaaaah!”

  
“Soos!” Dipper yelled.

  
“Sorry dude, I thought this called for reverse psychology.”

  
Mabel gave an angry glare at the pendant. “This all your fault! Die, Die!!”

  
As Mabel took the pendant off the transformation reversed itself. “Hey…”

  
Mabel’s mood did a complete one eighty as she began taking the pendant on and off while looking in the mirror. “Mabel, Goat Mabel. Mabel, Goat Mabel.”

  
Dipper began turning the pages of the journal. “Wait, this seems familiar…got it!”

  
Dipper had opened the journal to a pair of pages under the heading “Glamour Charm”. The illustration on the first page showed an ugly rat like creature followed by an arrow pointing to an ordinary looking wristwatch followed by another arrow pointing to an average looking man in the same pose as the monster while wearing the watch. The entire lower half of the second page was taken by a large bolded text that simply read “THEY WALK AMONG US!!!”.

  
“I have noted during my investigations that occasionally supernatural creatures can appear human by using an object enchanted to change the form of the wearer.” Dipper quoted from the journal. “The glamour is attuned to the user and if anyone else wears the charm they would take on the form of the creature the glamour was made for.”

  
“So if we get that thing to the kid, he’ll go back to being normal?” Soos asked.

  
“Mabel changed when she put the pendant on, but Asriel changed when it was taken off. What he is right now IS his true form!”

  
“But he was scared,” said Mabel. “Why would he be scared if he was already a monster kid?"

  
“He told me he was found in the woods with amnesia, and if he was wearing the charm he might have forgotten what he was.”

  
“So what do we do now?”

  
Dipper put the journal in his vest and grabbed a camera. “I’m going out there and saving my friend!”

  
“Count me in bro!” said Mabel as she grabbed a pouch full of glitter.

  
“And I’m coming with you guys!” said Soos.

  
The three ran out of the Mystery Shack as the sun began its final descent toward the horizon. Mabel however ran back in for a moment with the charm. “Mabel, Goat Mabel.”

* * *

  
After running deep into the forest Asriel sat back against a tree. “Guess I’m going spend my life out here eating mushrooms, nuts and berries. Great, now I’ve started talking to myself.”

  
A hissing growl came from a nearby cluster of trees. As Asriel looked in that direction he saw a reptilian humanoid with leathery skin, huge eyes, pointy ears, wing-like flaps stretched between its wrists and waist, a whip like tail and a back covered with spines.

  
“Whoa, a real chupacabra, the stories about the goat sucker were true.” Asriel then lost whatever color he had left in his face. “And I’m kind of a goat now…”

  
The chupacabra then opened its mouth lashing out a tongue that opened a smaller mouth with three fang like teeth. Asriel ducked just in time as the tongue bit into the tree behind him a ripped out a piece of it.

  
Asriel tried to run when two more of the creatures leapt down from the trees. Surrounded Asriel prepared for the worst.

  
But the two new chupacabra were knocked out of the way by a speeding golf cart. As the cart swung around Asriel saw Dipper and Mabel standing in the back holding a baseball bat and a golf club. Dipper ran towards him.

  
“Asriel are you ok?!”

  
“You came for me?”

  
Dipper smiled. “Of course we’re friends aren’t we?”

  
Asriel got a sacred look on his face. “Unfortunately so are they.”

  
About a dozen more chupacabra came out of the woods.

  
Soos got between the kids and the monsters. “Don’t worry dudes I’ll protect you!” Two of the chupacabra launched spines from their back hitting Soos on the back of the neck. “Well there’s the paralysis kicking in.” Soos then fell flat on his stomach.

  
The three kids grouped together Dipper and Mabel brandishing their weapons. They swung at the reptilian beasts until one managed to swipe the bat and club out of their hands.

  
“Say Cheese!” Dipper yelled pulling out a camera. The camera’s flash stunned several of the creatures.

  
Mabel opened a pouch. “Here’s glitter in your eye!” Mabel blew the glitter into the eyes of more the beasts.

  
A couple of tongues lashed out smashing the camera and ripping the pouch open.

  
The chupacabra had started to surround the children. Dipper quickly turned to a page in the journal. “Except for bright lights these things don’t have any weaknesses!”

  
“It was nice knowing you Dipper!” said Mabel.

  
Asriel the spoke in a strangely cold voice. “No…”

  
“Uh, Asriel?” asked Dipper.

  
The goat creature turned up his palm and a fireball suddenly appeared in his hand, his pupils became cat like slits that were glowing red. “I’m going to enjoy this…” Asriel then gave a very creepy laugh.

  
“Asriel this isn’t like you!”

  
Asriel shook his head and his eyes went back to normal. “Leave my friends ALONE!”

  
Asriel threw the fireball at the feet of the chupracabra. The creatures leapt back at the fire burning where they stood not a second ago. Asriel prepared another fireball and the lizard things spread their wing like flaps and flew off into the forest.

  
The fireball and the flames died and the twins turned back to Asriel. “That was amazing!” said Dipper.

  
“I didn’t like the part where you went all scary,” said Mabel. “But other than that you were totally rocking that magic or whatever it was you were doing.”

  
Asriel gazed at his hands. “I guess if I’m stuck like this, there would be some upsides.”

  
“Oh yeah, with the abject terror I almost forgot!” said Mabel. “We still have your pendant thingy!”

  
Asriel’s eyes brightened. “Does that mean you figured out how to make me human again?!”

  
Dipper took out the journal. “Yeah, it’s a good news/ bad news deal with that. The good news is that your pendant can make you look human again.”

  
Asriel felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. “Look human?”

  
“That’s the bad news, I found out what your pendent was in the journal. It’s a glamour charm, it’s enchanted to make the wearer it was made for blend in among people. It can’t make you human again because well… you never were one to begin with.” Asriel sat down on the forest floor. “Asriel I’m sorry.”

  
“It’s not that. I can accept what I am, it’s just I don’t KNOW what I am. As far as I can remember I wanted to know how I got here, where I came from and now I finally answered one question a hundred more take its place.”

  
“Asriel I’m going to help you get the answers you’re looking for, even if it takes all summer.”

  
Asriel turned back to Dipper. “You’d do that for me?”

  
“I’ve been spending the summer trying to uncover the mysteries of this town, what’s one more?”

  
Asriel started to tear up but was smiling at the same time. “Thank you.”

  
Asriel put the pendent back on and turned back into the boy Dipper met back at the bookstore.

  
“A happy ending all around,” said Mabel. “Except for Soos what with him being paralyzed and everything.”

  
Dipper began turning pages in the journal. “I have cure for chupacabra venom here but we’ll need to get the ingredients back at the Mystery Shack. Can you help lift Soos into the golf cart?”

  
The three kids each grabbed a part of the big man. “I really appreciate you doing this,” said Soos. “It’s good to have friends.”

  
Asriel’s face was turning blue. “Seriously you should consider losing a few pounds, I think I starting to feel my back cracking.”

  


“Lift with your legs dude.”

* * *

  
The next day Dipper and Mabel were walking through town with Asriel. “Ok so I’m not girlfriend material for you,” said Mabel. “But whoever this girl you like is I can totally help you get together.”

  
As the trio came to a corner a blonde girl ran into Asriel. “Out of my way dork!”

  
Mabel narrowed her eyes. “Pacifica!”

  
Dipper however was staring at Asriel who just kept looking at Pacifica. “Asriel?”

  
“She…” Asriel then clasped his hands in front of his heart. “SHE REMEMBERS ME!”

  
Mabel and Dipper groaned. “This is going to a whole thing isn’t it?”

* * *

  
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	2. Dreamscaperers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asriel was just expecting a quiet evening at the Mystery Shack, But Lil' Gideon had other plans.

Having thought Gravity Falls was just a boring small town for all of what he could recall was his life the next few weeks had been eventful. First there was the Summerween where while nearly getting eaten by the legendary Trickster he revealed his secret to his classmates Candy and Grenda and he found that he couldn’t use his magic on command like he thought he could. Then there was the time when Dipper and Mabel were fighting over a new room and they all were getting their minds swapped around by a weird carpet.

But in spite his parents’ initial approval of Dipper they were uncomfortable with him spending any amount of time around Dipper and Mabel’s great uncle Stan who they considered him a bad influence. It wasn’t a big deal at first but one weekend while they were away Asriel’s parents were cheated out of a spot on the game show Cash Wheel when Stan faked a heart attack. Since then they became wary of how much time Asriel spent at the Mystery Shack.

But since Asriel found out about the glamour he began to notice more about the strange things going around town. Gnomes seen just past the edges of the woods, the shadowy appendages of mole people reaching up from sewer grates and reflections in windows that seemed to have no owners. It was so hard for him to believe that he spent five years oblivious to it all. Still with all this weird stuff finding out where Asriel really came from was like trying to find a needle in a weird haystack that could potentially kill you.

But for now he was simply enjoying a sleepover with Dipper.

“Thanks again for letting me spend the night over at Dipper’s,” Asriel said over his cell phone. “No, the rain hasn’t been a problem. Ok, I’ll call if the storm gets bad. Yes, I’ll keep an eye on my wallet and not listen to any advice Mr. Pines gives me. Love you too, bye.”

Asriel hung up and turned back to Mabel and Dipper. While the roof leaked into various containers the twins were playing a game of Conflict Boat.

“I’m going to say…B5,” said Dipper.

“Miss. Whomp,” Mabel said. “Instead of putting the peg where her designated put one on F7 putting a nose on the face of a cat she made with the other pegs.

“I don’t think you’re playing this right.”

“Kids come quick!” Stan yelled from downstairs.

After running down they found Stan in his usual chair in front of the TV. “I need you to laugh at this with me!”

On the TV was the local child psychic, Little Gideon, was laying a guitar and singing. “Who’s cute a button and always your friend? Little G-I-D to the E-O-N! Wink.”

Dipper immediately groaned. “Gideon,”

“Remember when I wouldn’t date him he tried to destroy us?” said Mabel.

“He ruined the surprise for this great present I got for my parents’ anniversary,” fumed Asriel.

“He’s always trying to trick me into losing the Mystery Shack!” said Stan.

“One time I caught him trying to steal my moisturizer,” said Wendy as she came in with Soos.

“And yet our mutual hatred for him bonds us together,” Soos added.

Bud Gleeful voice spoke once more from the TV. “Come on down, to Little Gideon’s Tent o’ Telepathy. Opening soon at this location.”

The TV shown an image of the Mystery Shack which was then crushed by the Tent of Telepathy.

“Uh, should we be worried about that?” asked Dipper.

“Please,” said Stan “The only way Gideon is taking this shack is by breaking in and stealing my deed.”

Right at that second the sound of breaking glass echoed through the shack.

“You mean like right now?” said Wendy.

The group ran to Stan’s office. “Gideon!” Stan yelled at the psychotic boy now trying to break into his safe.

“Well, well, Stanford my arch nemesis,” said Gideon. “We seemed to entered a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But the question remains, who is the cat and who is the…?”

Stan reached out towards Soos. “Soos, broom.”

Stan moved to evict Gideon. “Oh on not the broom!” Gideon almost squealed. Stan chased him about the office hitting him repeatedly until he was chased out of the Mystery Shack altogether.

“Apparently no one told Gideon that broom beats cat AND mouse,” Asriel said.

“Mark my words Stanford!” Gideon yelled. “One day I’m gonna get that combination! And once I steal that deed you’ll never see the Mystery Shack again!”

“Good luck bucko,” Stan then closed the door.

After having gone back into his office Stan locked up his safe. “Ha, the combo to this safe is in the one place he’ll never find it. My brain.”

Stan however was unaware Gideon had overhead him from right outside.

“Your brain isn’t as safe as you might think Stanford Pines.” Gideon took out the second journal and began flipping through its pages. “This is the last straw! It’s time I unlocked the Journal’s greatest secret.”

Gideon focused intently on a page with a triangular figure with a single eye.

* * *

About an hour later boredom set in for most of those in the Mystery Shack. The rain was keeping away tourists so there was little work to do and right now the only thing on TV was this movie that only Stan seemed interested in. Dipper and Wendy are shooting each other with Nyarf brand dart guns while Asriel was reading a Cosmic Rangers comic book.

The TV continued to broadcast. “He put the old in ‘old west’, they call him…”

A new voice sang out. “Grandpa the Kid!”

“I'm tired during the day,” said the old cowboy on TV.

“I can relate to this,” said Stan.

“Grunkle Stan, why can't we watch a movie that we'll all enjoy?” said Mabel holding a VHS tape with two animated teenaged boys on the cover. “Dream Boy High! _Where love is on your permanent record.”_

Stan, Dipper, Asriel and Wendy all booed the idea.  

“You'll learn to like it.”

A crash came from the kitchen as Soos came into the room. “Aaah! Dudes, there's a bat in the kitchen! It tried to touch me with its weird little bat fingers!”

“Don't worry,” said Stan. “I got this under control.” Stan leaned back in his armchair. “Dipper, take care of it.”

Mabel laughed. “Yes!”

Dipper was less enthused. “What? Why can't Mabel do it?”

“'Cause life ain't fair,” said Stan. “Now go fight a bat so we can watch TV.”

“No way, Grunkle Stan! You always make me do dumb chores! I'm putting my foot down this time!” Dipper mad his point by stamping his foot on carpet. 

Stan was not impressed. “I said do it kid. Now!”

Stan and Dipper went into a stare off, the tension felt like an old west showdown. They each took turns growling at each other but Stan had the advantage of experience and a sometimes genuinely scary face.

“Okay, I'll do it!”

“Don’t worry,” said Asriel. “I’ll help.”

Dipper sighed as stood in front of the kitchen doorway. Asriel and Mabel followed behind him. Picking up a saucepan and spoon on the floor he started to grumble. “Stupid chores...”

“Remember, bats are more afraid of you than you are of them,” said Mabel.

Dipper and Asriel Entered the kitchen.

“Maybe I'm thinking of ducklings?”

As Dipper screamed crashes came in from the kitchen. Kitchen supplies and Dipper's hat were thrown outside. 

“Ducklings,” Mabel laughed. “Quack quack! Quack quack quack!”

Moments later was Soos applying medicine to Dipper's wounds while Mabel applied bandages to Dipper's head.  Asriel standing nearby holding his finger out as the bat was hanging from it like it was a perch.

“It so weird, it attacked Dipper right off but around me he likes like a pet. I’d consider keeping him if I didn’t think my parents would freak out.”

Dipper was not nearly impressed. “Ow, ow!”

Soos was singing while he worked. “Swabbing on disinfectant, doo doo doo...”

Dipper sighed. “Why does Grunkle Stan always pick on me? Think about it! The more painful or difficult the chore is, the more likely it is I'll have to do it. Why doesn't he pick on you guys?”

“Dipper, Stan's personality is one of life's great mysteries. Like whether or not it's possible to lick your own elbow.”

Mabel grinned. “I bet you can't!”

“I bet I can!” Soos tries to lick his elbow while walking away. 

Mabel began following Soos while chanting. “Lick it! Lick it! Lick it!”

Asriel came closer to Dipper. “You ok?”

“Sometimes I feel like Stan hates me,” he said while looking at a picture of Stan on the wall.

“If he did he wouldn’t have taken you and Mabel in the first place. I better take my new friend here outside and set him free. See you in bit.”

As Asriel left Stan yelled from elsewhere in the house.

“The sink's clogged! Dipper, get in here and fix it!”

Dipper growled, grabed his Nyarf dart gun and fired it at the picture of Stan on the wall.”

* * *

Somewhere in the forest an identical picture of Stan had a red "X" painted over his eyes and surrounded by candles.

“You think that combination's safe in your mind, Stanford?” said Gideon. “We'll see what my new minion has to say about that!” Gideon began reading from the journal out loud. “Triangulum, entangulum. Vene foris dominus mentium. Vene foris videntis omnium!”

A short distance away Mabel was cheering Soos on while Asriel set the bat loose. “Lick that elbow! Lick that elbow!”

Soos stopped for a moment. “Like the infinite horizon, it eludes my grasp.”

Gideon’s laughter was heard moments later.

“Is that who I think it is?”

The walked toward Gideon. He grunted once clasping his stomach. Suddenly his eyes glowed blue and started chanting.

“Egassem sdrawkcab. egassem sdrawkcab. Egassem sdrawkcab! Egassem sdrawkcab! Egassem sdrawkcab!”

The world around them turned black and white, wildlife moved slower as it seemed time itself slowed down. A triangle that looked like a gateway to outer space, wreathed in flame appeared.  A single eye opened near the tip and the thing started laughing. The flames disappeared as it sprouted arms and legs. A bow tie and top hat also appeared on the creature as it turned yellow  

“Oh, oh, Gravity Falls! It is good to be back. Name's Bill Cipher, and I take it you're some kind of living ventriloquist dummy? Haha, I'm just kidding. I know who you are, Gideon!”

Gideon was flustered by the new arrival.  “W-what are you? H-how do you know my name?”

“Oh, I know lots of things!” His body began to show and number cryptic images. “LOTS OF THINGS...” Bill said in a slow, deep voice.

Bill’s body returned to normal. “Hey, look what I can do!” He gestured toward a doe, the doe’ s teeth then flew into his hand right before dumping them into Gideon’s “Deer teeth! For you, kid, Haha!” 

Gideon cried out in shock and droped teeth on the ground. “You're insane!”

“Sure I am, what's your point?” Bill motioned sending the teeth back into the mouth of the doe which then ran away. 

Gideon lost his patience. “Listen to me, demon! I have a job for you. I need you to enter the mind of Stanford Pines and steal the code to his safe. “

Mabel, Soos and Asriel all gasped. 

Bill laughed once more. “Wait...” he said turning his back to Gideon. “Stan Pines?” His body shifted to a couple of images for a moment. “You know what, kid? You've convinced me, I'm sold! I'll help you with this and in return you can help me with something I've been working on! We'll work out the details later.”

Gideon gave a sinister smile. “Deal!” 

Bill’s hand lit on blue fire and he shakes hands with Gideon who seemed unharmed. “Well, time to invade Stan's mind! This should be fun! Remember: reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold, bye!”

And with that Bill vanished in a flash of light and the world around returned to normal.

Gideon and those watching gasped as if they woke from a dream.

“It worked!” Gideon said before he started laughing maniacally.

* * *

Back at the house Dipper was sweeping the carpet in the living room while Stan slept in his chair.  Eventually Stan started mumbling in his sleep “Oh, I'm so sorry.”

Dipper simply shrugged. “What is going on in that guy's head?”

“Dipper! We've gotta help Stan! “said Mabel as she and the others ran in.

“Wait, what?”

Soos was eating a bag of Burrito Bites. “This evil triangle guy said he's gonna break into Stan's mind and steal the combination to his safe! Also we stopped for snacks on the way here.”

“Triangle guy?” Dipper said taking out his Journal. “I feel like I've seen something like this before in the journal...” Dipper stop on an entry marked “Bill Cipher. "Beware Bill, the most powerful and dangerous creature I've ever encountered.” The bottom right corner in bold red letters was **DO NOT SUMMON AT ALL COSTS!** “Whatever you do, never let him enter your mind." 

Stan started grunting in his sleep

Mabel pointed at her great uncle. “Grunkle Stan!”

Bill’s shadow sunk into Stan's head, his eyes started glowing blue and he began throwing a spasm.

Mabel took the journal from Dipper and began reading. “It is possible to follow the demon into a person's mind and prevent his chaos. One must simply recite this incantation.”

Dipper groaned. “Ugh, this is just great. I spend all day cleaning sinks and fighting bats for Stan and now I have to save him from some crazy brain demon?”

“But if we don't do anything Gideon might steal the shack! Or worse!”

Stan began screaming.

“That sounds like ‘or worse’,” said Asriel.

Dipper sighed. “Fine. Get ready, guys. We're about to journey into the most horrifying, disturbing place any of us have ever been: our uncle's mind.”

Lightning flashed for a moment. 

“You think I can take these Burrito Bites into Stan's brain?” asked Soos. “Thumbs up? Thumbs down?” Soos laughed after a pause. “You know what, I'm just gonna bring 'em.”

Dipper, Mabel Asriel and Soos were around the sleeping Stan in the living room. The lights off and Stan was surrounded by a circle of candles.

 “Okay, guys,” Dipper said holding the journal. “In order to save our uncle, we're gonna have to follow that... dream demon into his mind.”

 “I wonder what Stan's thinking about right now. Soos wondered. He began using Stan as a ventriloquist dummy “I love Soos like a son!”  he said in a high voice.

“Soos! This is serious!  “

“Sorwy!”

Mabel and Soos laugh and gave each other a high five.

Dipper put his hand on tan’s head. “Let's do this.”

Mabel, Asriel and Soos also put their hands on Stan's head.

Dipper began to read from the journal. “Videntus omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus!”

As Dipper spoke his eyes started to glow blue, then the others as the candles were blown out. “Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!”

* * *

 After the incantation, there a large flash of blue light. The next instant they all found themselves in a greyed out landscape.

Soos was particularly awed. “What the?”

A strange almost floating version of the mystery shack lay before them and around there was playground equipment, Stan’s chair and a high schooler’s desk.

“Whoa,” said Mabel. “This is Stan's mind?”

“I figured there would be more hot old ladies,” said Soos.

“Guys,” said Asriel. Looking at him he was in his true form of a goat like humanoid. Asriel felt around and took out his pendent. “Wait I still have it, guess the glamour doesn’t work in other people’s heads.”

“Remember everyone,” said Mabel while they were backing up. “We've got to look out for the triangle guy.”

“Yeah,” Bill said from behind them. “Look out for the triangle guy!”

“It's him!” said Soos. “It's the guy!”

“You leave our uncle's brain alone!” Mabel said. “You isosceles monster!” Mabel ran towards Bill and vanished inside of him. Bill took out a pocket watch and seconds later Mabel came out the same way. “Gotcha! Wait, what?”

“Ah, Stan's family, we meet at last!” Bill said. “Question Mark, Shooting Star, Pine Tree, I had a hunch I might bump into you!”

Bill shots a hole in Dipper's chest who started screaming. 

“Boop!” Mabel stuck her arm through the hole getting a few laughs from Soos.

“Mabel!” Dipper turned his attention back towards Bill. “What do you want with our uncle's mind anyway?”

“Oh, just the code to the old man's safe!” Bill said. “Inside the shack is a maze of a thousand doors representing your uncle's memories. Behind one of them is a memory of him inputting the code! I just need to find it and Gideon will pay me handsomely. 

“Not if we stop you!” Mabel exclaimed.

“Hah, fat chance! I'm the master of the mind.” Blue flames now encircled Bill. “I even know what you're thinking right now!”

“That's impossible, no one can guess what I'm thinking!”

With a snap of his fingers Bill materialized the two boys from Mabel’s movie. Xyler was a tan, muscular man with black eyes and chin length blond hair. Craz had blue hair and eyes, and pale skin.”

“Whoa, where are we, bro?” asked Xyler.

“We must be in heaven,” Craz said pointing to Mabel. “'Cause I just saw an angel!”

Mabel started Hugging Craz's shin. “I'm never letting go of your leg!”

“Mabel focus!” reproached Asriel.

Bill turned his gaze towards the monster boy. “Ah you, I expecting to run into you again sooner or later.”

“Run into me?” Asriel said. “You knew me before I was found in the woods?”

“Not personally kid, but I know everything about you. Who you are, where you come from, what you could become. I dealt with your kind before and if you want to know anything just let finish up here and we make an arrangement.”

Asriel took a look at his pendent but then clasped it in his hand while recoiling. “No, The Journal said you can’t be trusted. You’re just lying to me so I’d let you get the combination!”

“You’re out of your league kids, turn around now before you see something you might regret. Later, suckers!” And with that Bill crashed through the wall of the mindscape Mystery Shack.

“We're goin' in!” said Dipper. “Mabel, can we leave those guys out here? Looking at them… hurts my eyes...” 

“No! They can help us!”

The two animated young men agreed. “Totally! Arm throne!” 

Mabel chuckled as Xlyer and Craz picked her up and carried her on their forearms.

“Dude, Arm throne!” Soos said making a cradle with his arms. (Dipper and Asriel started backing up and Soos came towards them. “Arm throoone!”

With a scream Dipper and Asriel followed the others into the Shack and awed at the sight around them. 

The shack was much larger on the inside than the one the Pines family was familiar with. Stairways seemed to climb forever and door floated in the middle of nowhere.

“Radical!” said Craz.

“I also think it's radical!” replied Xyler.

“Please stop talking,” asked Asriel.

As they began descending a staircase Stan’s head with bat wings buzzed by Dipper startling him.

“No refunds! No refunds! No refunds!”

Looking around there were sections dedicated to Stan’s fears, his hopes then the gang entered hallway marked memories, images from his past could be seen through opened doors.

“Whoa, look!” said Soos. “All of Stan's memories!”

“Great,” said groaned Dipper. “Sure there's plenty of memories of Stan bossing me around, can't wait to see more of that.”

Mabel turned to her brother. “Come on Dipper, we've gotta find the code before Bill does!”

The dream boys seconded it.

“Mabel is talking!”

“So rad!”

“Let's get searching!” said Soos.

Spilting up the group began looking through the many doors

Dipper opens a door and saw a younger Stan in a prison with two Hispanic men.

“Jorge, Rico,” Stan said. “You're the two best Colombian prison friends a fellah could make.”

Jorge spoke to Rico “Espero que muera. (I hope he dies.)”

“Sí,” replied Rico.

“Nope!” Dipper said closing the door.

Elsewhere Soos opened another door saw saw a Stan in his twenties wearing a straw hat a bow tie outside a house with a vacuum cleaner. 

“Sir, would you like to buy a Stan-Vac vacuum? Stan-Vac: It sucks more than anything.” The man at the door closed it in Stan’s face. “Gotta work on that.”

“Nope,” Soos closed the door 

Mabel opened a small door. Inside she saw Present day Stan at a restaurant with Lazy Susan.

“Whoa, it's Stan on a date!”

Stan looked extermly awkward. “So, your, uh... your eye is weird, let's... let's talk about that.” 

Lazy Susan laughed like he told a joke.

Stan gave half laughs while sweating bullets _“This is going terrible,”_ Stan thought to himself. _“I can't think of anything to say and she... looks weird up close. Think of a way out!”_ Stan stood up. “NON-SPECIFIC EXCUSE!” After knocking over his food Stan ran out of the restaurant. 

“Yeesh,” Mabel closed the door.

Asriel opened a door with a fish symbol and saw a fortyish Stan Pines taking his fez from a man with glasses wearing a larger and more elaborate version of the fez.

“Now Stanford,” the man said. “All that remains for your initiation is to recite the sacred oath of our order.”

“No problem Big Fish Doug,” Stan then put the fez on his head placed his left hand on an odd circle etched on a block of wood and with his right hand made an inverted salute. “I, Stanford Filbrick Pines, as a member of the Royal Order of the Holy Mackerel do solemnly swear to serve my fellow man honestly and without thought of personal gain while I preserve and protect the secrets of our sacred order. Should I fail in this noble quest may my face be eaten by the Great Owl and then be barfed back up as some kind of pellet that I would have to carry around as a sign of my failure.”

Right then a large owl swooped down and started attacking Stan’s face. “AHHH! Get it off!”

Asriel narrowed his eyes sarcastically. “A little bit on the nose there aren’t you Karma?” he said before closing the door.

Dipper discovered a door with the words "Dipper Memories" and “Keep Out!” written on it.

“Look, guys! Memories about me!” Dipper started to open the door.

Soos put his hand on Soos’ shoulder. “That doesn't seem like a good idea.”

“I just wanna know what the old guy really thinks of me.”

“We already know how Stan feels about us!” said Mabel. “He loves us! We're great.” 

The rest of the group began walking away. “Yeah. Let's just keep moving.”

“More moving?” said Xyler.

“Yes!” said Craz. “I love motion!”

“Seriously,” said Asriel. “Your voices are making my ears bleed.”

Dipper walked a bit, but turnd around and rans to back to the Dipper memories door and entering it.  

Behind it was a whole new hallway with Stan echoing for Dipper to do things. “Okay. Just a quick peek.”

Dipper walked to one of the doors and opened it. Inside was on the Shack porch pointing at a stump. 

“No buts! Now go and chop that firewood already!” he said  hitting Dipper's head with a newspaper.

Memory Dipper began to chop the firewood while Stan sat on the couch next to Soos.

“Dude, Stan,” Memory Soos said. “I've been meaning ask you. Why are you so hard on Dipper all the time?”

“Look, Soos, I'm gonna let you in on something. Wanna know what I really think?” Stan began whispering to Soos. Dipper leaned to listen. “The kid's a loser. He's weak! He's an utter embarrassment! I just wanna get rid of him.”

Dipper took a moment to see himself unable to chop wood effectively. Depressed he closed the door.

* * *

Meanwhile the others continued to search.

“Hello?” Soos called out. “Code to Stan's safe? Where are you?”

Xyler opened a door without really looking. “Opening and closing doors is fun!”

“I can do it also!” said Craz.

Asriel moved closer to avoid the two.

Soos opened a door. Inside Stan pushed the buttons of the gift shop vending machine. The vending machine swung forward and a secret hallway appeared.

“If only people knew the truth, that hidden behind this vending machine, I secretly have a…”

“BORING!” Soos said closing the door.

Mabel was now in front of a door with "Top Secret" written on top of it.  “Alright guys, I have a good feeling about this door.”

Mabel opens the door. Inside it has a memory of Stan in the bathroom. 

“Hey, Mr. Tummy!”

Stan changed his voice to be higher pitched “Hey, Mr. Stan!

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes!”

The group was visibly disturbed. 

“Eat your crackers!”

“Yum yum yum yum!”

“Sweet Sally!” Mabel said not closing the door fast enough for anyone’s tastes

Soos groaned. “We've been searching forever! What if the triangle guy finds the memory before we do?”

Mabel had a thoughtful look on her face. “If we wanna find Stan's memory, we gotta think like Stan. He's always hiding stuff, right?”

“Yeah! Like how he hides his arrest warrants under that rug in the gift shop?”

“Soos, that's it! Look!” Mabel went to a rug with an Aztec design. Lifting it up she found a trapdoor. Causing the others to gasp. Mabel opens the door and saw Stan kissing the deed as he put it into his safe.

“There ya go,” Stan said as he closed the safe. “And now to input the code. 13, 44, and finally…” 

Soos closed the door. “Dude! we found it!”

“Yeah!” cheered Mabel and Asriel.

“But what do we do now?” asked Xyler and Craz “Jinx!”

“Um... um... Let's just destroy the door before Bill can find it!” Mabel took a battle ax from a suit of armor. 

“Wait!” said Soos. “Maybe I should do it! My big fat arms are great at destroying stuff!”

“Oh, okay.”

Soos got an uncharacteristic serious look on his face as he held his hand above the door. A blue glow surrounded the door and it was levitated in the air.

Suddenly, another Soos walked in. 

“Hey guys! I just saw a memory of Stan roller skating and wearing short-shorts!” …Didn't look... didn't look that bad!” Just then the new Soos noticed the double. “Hey, something weird is goin' on here.”

The Soos with the door started laughing, but it sounded like Bill’s laugh. Then his eye merged into one eye and then morphed out of his disguise and into the form of Bill Cipher. “Boy, you kids sure are gullible! I knew you'd lead me straight to the code!” Bill laughed once more in triumph as the rest cowered in fear. “It's funny how dumb you are.”

* * *

“The combination to Stan's safe. Boy, that was even easier than I thought!” 

“Oh, yeah?” Mabel retorted. “Well, you're a-a stink face!”

“Awesome comeback, Mabel!” Xyler exclaimed.

“Don't treat me like a child, Xyler.”

“Later, suckers!” Bill said as he flew off.

“Come on! We've gotta save Stan!”

“What's the point?” Dipper said as he came down a set of stairs. “Why should I save him, huh? I work for Stan day and night and all he does in return is say he wants to get rid of me.”

“Dipper, I'm sure that's not true.”

“I saw it with my own eyes in one of his memories, Mabel! He always picked on me and now I know why. Stan hates me!”

Everyone else gasped.

“Dipper, it doesn't matter what you saw. If we don't stop Bill, we'll lose the Shack!”

“Not to mention whatever trouble that evil nacho chip will stir,” said Asriel.

“No! You know what? Not this time. For once this is one of Stan's problems I'm not gonna fix.”

Mabel narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Come on, guys. We'll save Stan ourselves.”

As the rest of the group left Soos turned back to Dipper for a moment. “Dipper, you're a cool dude, but... this isn't cool, dude.”

“Let's go, Xyler.”

“All right, Craz!”

“Those are our names!”

And so Dipper was left alone in the maze of memories.

Bill flew straight through the maze, doors opening from his mere. Then the sound phone ringing came from his bow tie. Bill touches his bow tie, his midsection opened reveling the image of Gideon. 

“Y'ello?”

“Bill!” Gideon said from the real world. “Did you find the memory with the combination yet?”

“Relax, short stack. I got it right here.”

Gideon laughed. “Perfect. now give it to me and we'll finish our bargain.”

Bill took out the door. “Finally! It's…you got a pen there? It's 13, 44...” Just then the door got hit by a foam suction dart and out of Bill’s hand. “Ah! No no no! Wait, no!”

The door flew into a door with one of Stan's more recent memories. 

“...and none more bottomless than the bottomless pit! Which you can see here is bottomless.” The Memory Stan noticed the door fall into the inky black pit. “Whoa! Whatever that was, it's gone forever!”

The door closed. Bill turned around only for him and Gideon to see Mabel shooting another dart from nyarf gun. 

“Ha ha! Boom!”

“Mabel did it!” Xyler and Craz said together.

Asriel clapped Mabel on the back. “Awesome shot!”

“The Shack is safe!” Soos said pumping his fist.

 Gideon did not look happy. “The deal's off!”

“Wa-wait! No! Wait!”

“I'm switchin' to plan B!”

The screen on bill’s stomach became static before closing. Bill's body cracked to pieces, fell off, then reassembled glowing red. He turned and pointed at the interlopers.

“YOU! You can't even imagine what you just cost me!” A fireball appeared in each of Bill’s hands. “Do you have any idea what I'm like...?” Bill’s voice became low and demonic. “WHEN I'M MAD???!!”

Several glyph like characters pass by Bill's eye. A circle of fire surrounds the group and Bill, suddenly a giant stone in the shape of Stan's head pops out from their feet and raises up. As they rise they go from the labyrinthine version of the Shack to what looked like outer space.

 Bill grew to giant size causing Mabel to gasp.

“So I guess he gets really mad when he gets mad,” said Soos.

Bill’s hand crackled with power. “EAT NIGHTMARES!”

Everyone screamed at the horror to come.

* * *

 Meanwhile Dipper was lost in the maze. “Ugh! How do I get out of this place? Exit? Hello?” Dipper once again opened the door to a memory of him chopping wood. “Aw, this again?”

“He's a loser. He's weak. I just wanna get rid of him.” Dipper started to close the door again on hearing Stan’s thoughts.

“Heh, yeah. Those are all things people said about me when I was a boy.”

“Huh?” stopped bewildered.

“It was terrible. I was the biggest wimp on the playground!”

A door of Stan's memory opened behind Dipper. Inside shows Stan as a kid getting hit in the face with a soccer ball. Kid Stan ran off crying while some bullies laughed at him.

“So one summer, my pop signs up me for boxing lessons.”

Another door opened into a boxing gym. A somewhat older Stan was  being punched by a much larger boy who was straddling him.

“It was even worse than the school yard!”

“Left hook!” The Young Stan shouted as he launched his counterattack. Off to the side his father nodded in approval.

“Y'know, that time I thought my pop was trying to torture me.”

Another door opened to the outside of a movie theater. A teenaged Stan was standing in line with a girl in a poodle skirt behind him.

“But wouldn't you know it? The old man was doin' me a favor all along!”

A greaser came up behind the girl and grabbed her purse.

“Give me that bag!”

“Help! My purse! Help!”

The Young Stan just reacted on instinct.

“Left hook!” 

Stan knocked the greaser out cold in one punch. The people all around cheered for Stan while the girl gave him a kiss. 

“So you see, that’s why I'm hard on Dipper. To toughen him up. So when the world fights, he fights back.”

Dipper smiled at the revelation.

“Do you think it's actually working?” asked the Memory Soos.

Stan motioned towards the Dipper chopping wood. The Memory Dipper managed to split a log in one swing. “I-I did it! Ha ha! Yes!”

“He's really comin' along!” said Stan. “When push comes to shove, I'm actually proud of him. Just... don't ever tell him that. His head is big enough as it is.”

Soos chuckled. “That's true.”

Dipper grinned as he reached towards the memory. However, there was a ripple in the doorway and the next thing Dipper knew he was inside the memory.

Stan and Soos just looked at Dipper.

“Whoa, kid, what are you doin' here?” said Stan. “Nice hole in your chest, by the way. Let's fix that up.”

Stan simply pointed his finger at Dipper and the hole in chest regenerated. 

“Wh-what the- How did you do that?”

“Word to the wise, kid. We're in the mind! You can do whatever you imagine in here!” Stan motioned his hand and a can of Pitt Cola appeared with the tab opening on its own before Stan took a big sip out of it.

“Well how about that?” From outside the memory the sound of blasts, explosions and screaming got Dipper’s attention. “Oh my gosh, what am I doing? I gotta stop Bill!”

As Dipper ran out Stan looked on. “Huh, fighting back.”

* * *

Bill loomed large above Mabel and the others, he made a gun motion with his hand firing a beam. “One nightmare, coming up!” 

“Nightmare?” asked Soos. “Hope it's not that British dog man I'm always dreaming about...”

The beam landed in front of Soos materializing a bulldog in a suit and bolwer hat with a monocle and a cane.  The dog started using the cane to hit Soos in the stomach. 

“'Ello, 'ello, 'ello! Who's crike for a stick in the pudding?”

Soos screamed. “It's everything I've ever feared!”

“You!” Bill shouted firing another beam at Mabel. She screamed as her skin became green and wrinkely and her head grew to massive size. 

“My cuteness!” Mabel’s voice deepened and slowed down. “What did you do to my cuteness?”

Asriel’s eyes became red and cat like for a split second. “Leave them alone!”

“How’s this?!” Bill zapped the ground at Asriel’s feet. That instant thorny vines had sprung up and wrapped around him. One of the vines seemed to have a flower in full bloom, it turned and the center of the bloom had a face.

“Howdy, I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower. Your best friend.”

Asriel was started to sweat bullets. “It’s you!”

Flowey gave a sinister grin. “I wasn’t talking to you, idiot. My friend happens to live inside your head. But even in here if I can’t seem to reach them. Guess I’ll just have to erase your soul to make you like me, then the three of us will have loads of fun!” Flowey’s face was now purely monstrous. “You should have realized by now the only chance you ever had was to become like me. In this or any other world, it’s kill or be killed!”

“You’re next!” Bill said.

“Cool! We're next!” Craz said as he and Xyler started dancing. Bill knocked each of them of off the rock and as they screamed they burned up and vanished. 

Mabel ran towards the edge. “My dream boys!”

Bill charged up another blast. “And now to finish you all once in for all!”

The three recoiled. “No, no!”

Dipper then seemed to fly into the scene, a blue aura surrounding his body. “Hey! Bill!”

“WHAT?!”

“Nice bow tie!” Dipper then shot lasers out his eyes and getting poetic justice by blasting a hole through Bill.

“AAHHHH!”

 Mabel and Soos ran over. “Dipper!”

“Dude!”

“You came back!” Asriel said managing to get his arms free.

Dipper turned to the others. “Guys! I just learned that you can conjure whatever you can conceive in Grunkle Stan's mindscape!”

Mabel looked confused. “Huh?”

“Just think of cool fighting stuff and it will happen. Like this!”

Dipper turned to the Dog man and used his laser eyes to vaporize him leaving only his hat behind.

“Ha ha,” Soos chuckled. “He's dead now.”

 “What?” said Bill. “Who told you that! Don't listen to him! You, plant guy do something!”

Flowey began to constrict his vines.

“Your friend there pulls some lame trick and suddenly you think you can just think me away?” Flowey said. “I am the darkness within you that you fear! I am the pure desire to survive without the restraints of love, mercy or compassion! You…” Flowey’s face then turned back to its original visage. “Hey, where did you get that weed hacker…AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!”

Asriel swung the gas powered garden tool down on the bloom cutting it to ribbons, he didn’t stop until the entire plant was obliterated. “Who knew it was that easy?”

“We can do anything?” Mabel said as she turned back into her old self. “Like have kittens for fists?” Her receded into the sleeves of her sweater and the giant pink kittens came out in their place. “Po-pow! P-p-pow! Pow!”

The kitten heads flew as if shot out of a cannon followed by over a dozen more. The cats heads landed and completely covered Bill as they bit him. He screamed as he was covered in pink fluff.

The kittens still on Mabel started to start lick her. “Well hello, friends!” she laughed.

“Anything, huh?” said Soos. “Soos love stomach beam stare!” Soos lifted his shirt reveling a question mark over his stomach that shot a rainbow of marks at Bill. 

“How about we add this to the mix?” said Asriel. “Constellation Cannon!” Suddenly the shoulder mounted weapon from the Cosmic Rangers comic materialized on Asriel. “Pulsar Pluse, Fire!”

The cannon shot an intense beam of white light. The two blasts knocked bill into the starscape. Bill regenerated the hold in his body and flew back to the stone. “Enough games!”

Bill’s eye turned into a cannon that fired a laser beam that was approaching the Pines family.

Mabel spread out her arms “Hamster ball shields activate!”

“Activate!” the others repeated as pink shields in the shape of a hamster ball appeared around them. 

The laser gets reflected by the hamster ball and hits Bill in the eye.  “AH! Oh my eye! AAH!”

The shields broke apart as Mabel rose her hands. “Rise, Xyler! Rise, Craz!”

Xyler and Craz rise from behind her back with a keytar and electronic drums. They to play a upbeat tune. 

“No! Synthesized music! It hurts!” Bill screamed.

Dipper pointed at Bill. “And now to imagine your worst nightmare! A portal out of Stan's mind!”

Mabel began singing along with the instraments. “Out of Stan's mi-ind!”

“Mabel! Everyone, together!”

The gang all closed their eye to concentrate as hard as they. A swirling red and black portal opened under Bill and began to pull him in. 

“No, no, no! Enough!” On his declaration Bill became his usual yellow and everything else around them vanished leaving the group floating in a white featureless void. “You know, I've been impressed with you guys. You are more clever than you look. Especially the fat one.”

Soos nudged Mabel with his elbow and whispered. “He's talking about you!”

“So I'm gonna let you kids off the hook. You might come in handy later. BUT KNOW THIS” Bill added in his demon voice. “A darkness approaches. A day will come in the future when everything you care about will change! Until then I'll be watching you! I’ll be watching yooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuu...” As his last word echoed some sort zodiac appeared around him and started flashing and soon after he vanished completely.

“He's gone! we did it!” said Dipper. The gang cheered for about a second before their bodies began to fade.

Asriel recoiled. “What the?”

“Stan must be waking up,” Stan must be waking up,” said Dipper.

Mabel turned to Xyler and Craz. “Will I ever see you guys again?”

The two boys hugged her.

“In your dreams.”

“Good one, bro. Good one.” 

* * *

The next thing the gang knew they woke up in the living room of the Mystery Shack with a shout.  Asriel’s glamour was in full effect.

“We did it!” said Mabel.

“What? Did what?” Stan said as he woke up. What are you all doing here? And why was I dreaming of two brightly colored and radical young men? 

“Grunkle Stan!” Dipper said leaping up an Stan in a hug. “You're okay!” 

“What is this, a hug?” Stan asked confused.

“Nope!” Dipper quickly moved behind Stan and began squeezing Stan’s neck with his arms.“It's a choke hold.”

Everyone else laughed and Dipper let go of the hold.

Stan chuckled. “Not bad, kid. Not bad.”

“All’s well that ends well,” said Asriel.

“I'm just glad Gideon didn't get into the safe,” said Mabel. “I really love this old shack.”

Soos spread his arms. “Group hug!”  There was an awkward silence in the room. “No? I never know the right time!”

Bits of the the ceiling began to fall as The Shack started to shake. 

Dipper looked around. “Hey, do you guys feel...?”

Just then an explosion knocked everyone to the floor. Gideon walked in through the newly opened hole in the wall.

“Oh, I'm sorry, Pines family. Did I wake you?:

“But.. we defeated Bill!”

“Bill failed me! So I switched to plan B: dynamite!”

“So you thought of an infernal contract BEFORE you thought of explosives?” Asriel said rubbing his head.

Stan had a confused looked on his face “What? Bill? Who? What are you guys talking about?”

Gideon unfurled the paper “Spoiler alert, Stanford! I've got the deed! The Mystery Shack belongs to me! So get out of my property!” Gideon took out a walkie talkie. “Daddy? Bring it around the front.” Gideon then walked out of the Shack.

“Don't worry, guys!” said Dipper. It's just part of the dream! We're gonna wake up any second now! Right? Right?”

The sound of more rumbling came from outside. Everyone ran out to Bud Gleeful driving a crane with a wrecking ball to the shack with Gideon riding along and laughing. The ball swung and smashed the Mystery Shack's sign. 

Soos gasped. “Someone pinch me, dude...”

The broken sign falls in front of the gang. 

+++

1 13-9-14-4 9-19 1 20-5-18-18-9-2-12-5 20-8-9-14-7 20-15 23-1-19-20-5.


	3. Gideon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lil' Gideon has put his plan into action. As Dipper and Mabel's friends try to find a way for them to stay in Gravity Falls a new friend shows up in the middle of a difficult choice.

It seemed like the whole town had gathered outside of the Mystery Shack for Gideon’s big announcement and was wearing a pin with Gideon’s winking face. The excitement was at a fever pitch the crowd anticipating the big announcement. Gideon popped through a paper hoop.

“Hello Gravity Falls!”

Everyone cheered for Little Gideon.

Everyone except for three kids who gathered at a back corner of the crowd.

“This totally bites!” said Grenda. “It’s bad enough we have to wear these stupid pins, now we got to listen to that half-pint gloat about how he got this place from Mr. Pines!”

“I agree,” said Candy. “Our best friends have lost their home in this town and nobody seems to care.”

“Well we care,” said Asriel. “Before the Pines Twins came to Gravity Falls we were the biggest losers and rejects in school. Dipper and Mabel have been there when we needed them and now they need us. Someone’s got to teach that dork Gideon a lesson.”

“I’ll rip his head off!” said Grenda.

“But everyone loves Gideon,” said Candy. “Including our parents, they’d never believe us.”

“And Gideon jumped through enough loopholes to make his takeover legal,” Asriel inwardly cursed the law dating back to the town’s founding that allowed a mule to be a public notary.

Up near the Shack Gideon started to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen! Today I am delighted to announce my plans for the former Mystery Shack. I give you... Gideonland!” Gideon pulled a tarp off of a table to reveal the model of the shack and the surrounding area converted into a Gideon themed amusement park. “We're gonna turn this dirty ol' shack into three square miles of Gideon-tertainment. And introducin' our new mascot, Lil' Gideon Jr.!”

Bud Gleeful pulled off a blanket to reveal Waddles in a Gideon costume. 

“Boom, he's a pig!”

Just then a familiar voice screamed.

“Waddles! You monster!”

“All right, that's it!” said another. The Pines family, hidden in the far back of the crowd, pulled off their disguises and rushed up onto the stage.

“Listen up, people. Gideon's a fraud!” Stan said.  “This kid broke in and stole my property!”

“Arrest him, officers!”

“Yeah!” Dipper followed.

Gideon walked towards the Pines. “Such accusations! Mr. Pines, I recall you gave the property to me.” Gideon pulled out a piece of paper. “Look, here's the deed right here!”

“Well that's all the proof I need to see,” said Sheriff Blubs.

Deputy Durland cheered. “I love you, Lil' Gideon! Sing them funny songs!”

Gideon snapped his fingers and his guards grabbed the Pines

“Hey!”

“Now get off my property, old man!” Gideon said slapping a Gideon pin on Stan.

“I'll show you who's the old man!” Then with a loud whine Stan grabbed his left ear. “Ow, my hearing aid! Ow!”

The guards then proceeded to carry the Pines off the stage. 

“Thanks for visiting Gideonland, friends! Don't come back, I don't care for y'all.”

“That’s it!” said Grenda. “We gotta do something!”

“If only we could get our hands on that deed,” said Asriel. “In Figswick Academy and the Obnoxious Orcs Melinda Catspaw was able to kick the orcs out of the school by grabbing the deed and showing the Council of Magi that Headmaster Avalon didn’t countersign it so the property was never legally transferred.”

Candy gave Asriel a look. “Why can’t we do the same?”

“Because unlike Melinda we don’t have an invisibility cloak.”

Candy pushed her glasses up, her eyes were hidden by the glare of the sun. “We won’t need one. Come back after dark, Candy has a plan.”

“Are we breaking and entering?” asked Grenda. “If so count me in!”

“Ok,” said Asriel putting his hand forward. Candy and Grenda placed their hands on top of his. “Pines Rescue Team is go!”

The three the raised their hands to the sky. “Yeah!”

 

* * *

 

That evening Asriel was in his room with the glamour charm in his pocket and the Gideon pin from earlier tossed on his dresser without a second thought. He stood in front of the mirror turning his palm up with no apparent effect. A couple of times he was able to shape a fireball for about a second. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use his powers but he also wanted to be prepared just in case.

Soon he was able to make a fireball and keep it up until he dispelled it himself. He got ready to see if he could do it again.

“Asriel!” his mother shouted from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

Asriel but his Pendant back on and ran downstairs.

Asriel’s parents were already sitting down at the table, a meal of herbal chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans was already at three of the seats. Asriel sat down.

“So are you excited about Gideonland?” asked Asriel’s father.

Asriel jabbed at the potatoes with his fork. “Hardly, I was there when Gideon took the Shack, he blew up a safe.”

“Now Sweetie,” said his mother. “It must have been traumatic getting caught in that blast and bumping your head but you came out ok and that’s what’s important. Gideon explained it clearly, there was a gas leak that caused the explosion at the Shack and Stan gave him the deed in exchange for money that Stan owed some really bad people. We like that you’re making new friends but Mr. Pines brought a lot of bad on himself.”

Asriel put his fork down. “So you’re saying that you believe Gideon over me.”

“That is not true,” said Asriel’s father. “But ever since we found you you’ve been prone to memory lapses. Given what you been through you probably just remembered things wrong. The police confirm Gideon’s story.”

“Course they would, most of our cops couldn’t solve their way out of a wet paper bag.”

“That’s enough,” his mother said firmly. “Insulting people whose job it is to keep us safe is not appropriate. We’re not going to discuss the Mystery Shack anymore today.”

“But Dipper and Mabel…”

“Will be fine,” said Asriel’s father. “They’re already staying with Mr. Ramirez’s grandmother until Mr. Pines gets back on his feet. Now on the lighter side I’ve been hearing rumors that you’ve got your first crush.”

Asriel blushed furiously. “Well…uh…”

“Oh our little boy is growing up.” His mom gushed. “So is it true?”

“I…” Asriel cut a bit of chicken thigh and put it into mouth.

“Your mouth is saying ‘I can’t talk’ but your face is saying ‘yes it is’.”

Asriel readied himself to be embarrassed until the big plan that night.

* * *

That night on one side of the new fence surrounding the Mystery Shack a blanket was draped over the barbed wire. One shadowy figure dressed all in black quickly climbed up and over the fence at the spot. A second did the same but nowhere near as quickly and a larger third managed to pull the fence down low enough to just move her legs over blanket and get in.

“Phase one complete,” said Candy as she turned to the others. “Now for phase two, entering the shack.”

“Where did you learn to move like that?” asked Asriel. “I heard you always had problems with the rope climb in gym class.”

Candy winked. “Family secret.”

“Are you a ninja?” asked Grenda.

“Officially, what I am has no name.”

The Pines Rescue Team snuck to the shadows near the study window staying out of sight of the nearby construction workers. Candy got ready to open it until they heard Bud Gleeful’s voice from the other side.

“I've been meaning to ask you boy. Shouldn't you be celebratin' Gideonland instead of stickin' your head in that there book all day?”

“Father, have I ever told you the true nature of this book?” They heard Gideon say. “It was written many years ago by a brilliant unknown author who learned secrets too powerful for one man.

“He hid his journals where he thought no one would ever find 'em. Because he knew that if the journals were ever bought together, they would unleash a gateway to unimaginable power!

“Codes and maps had led me to believe that the other book is buried somewhere on this very property, and I intend to find it!”

The three kids silently gasped.

“So that's why you wanted the Mystery Shack,” said Bud.

“That's right, father, it's time to begin the search for the other journal!”

They heard the sounds of footsteps as the two left the room.

“All this time and what Gideon was really after was Dipper’s journal,” Asriel whispered.

“And Gideon has another one like it,” said Grenda. “There could be something about you in there As.”

Asriel went into deep thought, all of the answers to questions he asked himself his whole life could be in the hands of the most dangerous child in Gravity Falls.  “If we get the chance, that deed has to come first.”

Candy opened the window and climbed in Waddles came up and rubbed himself against Candy’s leg as the others climbed in.

“Not now,” Candy said to the pig.

“Just some boxes of Gideon’s stuff,” said Asriel. “No sign of the deed.”

“Maybe he’s keeping it in the office or carrying it with ‘em,” said Genda. “We should look around and try to get the drop on him.”

The kids moved out into the hallway. They walked over a circular rug when suddenly they were lifted into the air with a scream. Looking around they saw that they were in a net that had been concealed under the rug.

Gideon came into the hall along with Bud and his two guards. “Well, well, well. Why would this net be here? It’s almost as if I knew you were comin’.”

Gideon started to laugh maniacally but then paused. “And yes, I did know you were coming.”

* * *

“How’d you know Gideon?!” Grenda asked. “Did somebody snitch on us?!”

“Oh, I don’t need a snitch, just my psychic powers.” Gideon snapped his fingers and the net was lowered. The tattooed guard grabbed Grenda while the guard with the beard took both Candy and Asriel. “Now don’t worry none I ain’t going to press charges of trespassin’…yet.

“And why not?” asked Candy.

“Because the only reason you’ve done any of this was for Mabel and Dipper Pines. They offered you companionship and you took the offer of a couple of out of towners without considering their cheating con artist of an uncle Stanford. It ain’t really your fault, you just made the wrong friends my friends. But you and me we could have a fresh start.”

“Never you little troll!” Grenda yelled.

“Dangsin-eun kkeumjjighan-ibnida! (You are horrible!)” said Candy.

Asriel crossed his arms. “I’m not buying it, you’re after something.”

Gideon turned to Bud. “Father can you help Tats and Rocko escort these lovely ladies to the living room? There are a few things Asriel here and I need to discuss in private.”

“I don’t see the harm,” said Bud. “Let’s get you ladies a glass of milk.”

After everyone else left Gideon took Asriel to the office and closed the door then turned to his guest. “Ok then let’s drop all the pretenses and…” Gideon suddenly grabbed Asriel’s pendant and yanked it away dispelling the glamour. “…disguises.”

Asriel tried to grab the pendant back. “How did…?!”

“I’m psychic remember, my Fae friend.”

Asriel stopped at the strange word. “Fae?”

“Well that is what you are, at least according to this.” Gideon took out the second journal. “That little tidbit is my gift to you Asriel, but I can tell you so much more. While I read all about it ages ago it hasn’t concerned me, at least not until I found out what you really are. I can tell you where you’re from, what your own kind is like, even who your real parents are, it’s all here in this book. All I ask in return is that you help me find the other journal first. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

Asriel looked at his own face reflected off of the gold six fingered hand with the number “2” written on it on the journal’s cover. He was lost in thought then turned back to Gideon’s own face “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

Gideon put the journal back into his coat. “You don’t, but on the other hand if you refuse I can expose your secret to the entire town. Your life in Gravity Falls will be over and I’ll be the hero that got rid of the ‘monster’. Win-win for me, win-lose for you.” Gideon put the charm back around Asriel’s neck restoring the glamour. “Take a day to think long and hard about it.”

Gideon opened the door and walked Asriel to the living room. “Daddy call the police. These three need to escorted home.”

Bud looked confused. “Nice to see you forgive and forget, but why the police?”

“I’m not pressing charges,” said Gideon. “But as a responsible citizen of Gravity Falls it is my civic duty to make sure their parents know what they’ve been up to.”

The Pines Rescue Team gulped.

* * *

Back home Asriel’s parents were furious. “Trespassing, breaking and entering, attempted burglary…” Asriel’s father said while pacing. “Mister you are lucky the Gleeful’s are so forgiving.”

 _“Yeah right,”_ Asriel thought.

“We should have seen this coming,” said Asriel’s mother. “Stan Pines has had a long history with the law, he was sure to have been a bad influence on you!”

“Aren’t you supposed to help your friends when they’re in trouble?” asked Asriel. “We were just trying to…”

“Not another word,” his mother said. “We’ve been lenient on you after what you went through five years ago and you’ve never gotten into trouble deliberately. But we can’t do our jobs as your parents and let this slide too.”

“Asriel you’re grounded,” his father said. “No television, computer games or leaving your room unless we tell you to for the rest of the summer.”

“The rest of the summer?!” said Asriel. “That’s totally unfair!”

“I said not another word,” his mother repeated. “Our decision is final starting now, go to bed.”

Asriel climbed up the stairs and went into his room. But instead of heading straight to bed he listened in on the conversation his parents we having downstairs.

“Roger you don’t think…”

“No Jessica, this is probably just typical adolescent rebellion. Still we better keep a closer eye on him…”

Asriel groaned as he turned away and went to bed. For the first time in his life he wanted to stand up to a bully and everyone who could sympathize with him either didn’t believe him or had problems of their own.

 

* * *

 

That night Asriel had a strange dream. He was out in the middle of Main Street seemingly alone as a strange fog covered everything. Looking around he thought he noticed Mabel running around a corner while hearing a strange laugh. Following her he ran into an alley.

“Mabel?”

Mabel turned around with a look of horror as she turned grey and collapsed into dust that was blown away. “No!”

The laugh came out again and turning around and finding Dipper. Asriel reached his hand out but then Dipper had another look of terror as he turned to dust and was blown away.

This pattern repeated with everyone Asriel knew in town; his parents, Candy and Grenda, Mr. Pines, Wendy, Soos, Pacifica, even Gideon. Eventually when everyone he knew was gone, he came across a child covered in dense fog.

“Hello Asriel,”

Asriel tensed up. “Who are you, what did you do to everyone?”

The child had no expression that could be seen from behind the fog. “I didn’t do that to them, you did.”

Asreil took a step back. “No, I didn’t mean…”

“But that’s a good thing. Take that Gideon for example, as rotten as he is the world is better off without him. But deep down every human is the same, there is always something they will either hate or exploit. None of them are worth saving and you can help me get rid of all of them.”

Asriel clenched his fist. “No, I’d never do that! Besides someone would stop me if I tried.”

“You’ve only just begun to tap into your potential, but listen to me and you can do more than you have ever imagined.”

Asriel took two more steps back “What’s so special about me?”

“All in good time. If there was a better choice I would take it. But that’s not very likely and I’ve come to like you, even if you are a crybaby coward.”

“I’m not…”

The figure came as close as they could without coming out of the fog, glowing red eyes peered from behind the misty veil along with a glowing red smile.

“You are! If you let yourself go you could have torn that little tyrant apart, but you were too afraid of what that could make you! The only way you are going to be of use to anyone is you cast them all away!”

The next instant Asriel woke up in his bed panting. “A dream…just a dream,” he told himself.

But deep down he wasn’t so sure. A looking around and seeing the Gideon pin on his dresser reminded him of the dilemma from earlier. If this dream was real then he had one more option, but it one that was even worse than the other two.

* * *

The next morning Asriel was thinking about the events of the last couple of days when he heard a knock on the door.

“Asriel can I come in?” asked his mother.

Asriel breathed a sigh of relief, if she was asking then she at least his parents were over the worst of their anger. “Sure.”

Having come in Jessica Shepard took the chair at Asriel’s desk and turned it around to sit. She motioned for him to sit on the bed across from her. “Asriel we don’t like to punish you, we only do it for your own good. That being said you will be ungrounded just for this afternoon.”

While he could have felt relief Asriel had a prepared for the worst. “Why?”

“Your father and I just got a call from Mr. Pines, Dipper and Mabel are going home at sunset. We’re letting you off your punishment so you can say goodbye.”

Asriel started to tear up. “But it’s not fair…”

“I’m afraid it is fair Sweetie, Mr. Pines didn’t have a lot money left over after he gave the Mystery Shack to the Gleefuls. It wouldn’t be fair to Dipper and Mabel to have them stay when he can’t provide for them.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry about them, they’re just going home a bit earlier than planned. You can get Dipper’s email address or whatever he uses to chat online to keep in touch. Because in spite of Mr. Pines’ bad decisions those two kids did you a lot of good that your father and I want you to carry on to other children at school. Can you at least try?”

Asriel looked away. “I’ll try…and thank you.”

Asriel’s mom gave him a peck on his temple and left the room. Asriel looked out the window to a distant peak, his favorite mountain in the valley. Things just kept getting worse and now the very people he most wanted to help and help him were leaving town. If Dipper and Mabel left, then Asriel would lose not only two of his best friends but the very people who helped him find out more about himself then he thought possible. Given the dream Gideon’s deal may have been the best option out a lot of bad ones, that was until Asriel thought of something else. It wasn’t good by any stretch but at least it wouldn’t hurt as many people.

* * *

It didn’t feel that long until the sun started setting over the valley. Asriel was at the bus stop with Candy, Grenda, Wendy and Stan.

The kids heard from Dipper and Mabel about their last ditch effort to get the Shack back only to lose Dipper’s journal.

Asriel listened but said nothing about Gideon’s threat and his plan to deal with it, no need to burden them with what he had to do. “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but I feel like I’ve known you two forever.”

“I’m sorry we were never able to figure out where you came from,” said Dipper.

Asriel looked away. “Don’t worry about it, you did your best. I’ll just…have to find my own answers.”

After the hugs the twins moved to the otherwise empty bus as a loudspeaker made an announcement.

“Bus Fifty-Two, departing Gravity Falls, all aboard.”

After climbing aboard Stan came to the back window. “I’m sorry kids, it’s for the best.”

The bus started to pull away while Mabel and Dipper still looked out the window.

Stan closed his eyes and turned his back, Wendy kept waving goodbye, Candy and Grenda hugged each other and Asriel kept looking at his feet. His next move needed no distractions.

He did manage to hear Dipper say “I can’t believe this is happening”.

As the bus pulled away Asriel quietly slipped into a small alley. He knelt down and opened the backpack he hid to give it one last check. His parents would be by soon to bring him back to his grounding so he had to make sure he had all his supplies before he carried out his own choice. He was still leaving Gravity Falls for good but at least he wouldn’t help Gideon get his hands on that journal.

“Where are you going Asriel?” he heard from behind him. Asriel turned and saw a boy his age with brown hair wearing a blue shirt with purple stripes.

Asriel sighed. “Hey Frisk.”

“Let me guess, Timmy Kirkpatrick’s been picking on you again. Want me to go talk to him?”

“First I don’t get why you stick up for others but just let yourself get hit instead of hitting back…”

“Because it would hurt if they got hit too.”

“And second it’s not that simple. Gideon Gleeful found out a big secret I have. I know everybody loves him but he’s really a selfish creep. He wants me to do something for him and I’m afraid if I do it a lot of people will end up getting hurt. But if I don’t do it he’ll tell everyone and… I would probably have to leave town. I decided I don’t want to hurt anyone so I’m leaving town on my own before he tells anybody. At least this way he doesn’t get wants.”

Frisk expression was hard to read at first but he started to tear up. “You dummy!” he shouted. “Running away will just hurt the people who care about you!”

Asriel turned feeling his blood boil. “Then what am I supposed to do?! I’m not going to hurt Gideon because that would just be proving him right! If get him what he wants it would hurt people and if he tells I’d have to leave anyway!”

“It can’t be that bad,” Frisk said. “It’s not like you’re some kind of monster.”

“Actually,” Asriel took off his pendant and the Glamour fell away. “I think I am.”

Frisk stared in silence.

“You aren’t sacred or even amazed?”

“Well if you really look around there’s all sort of special people and things in this town. Take the guy who runs the hardware store donates money to charity using cash from coffee cans he buried in his backyard. Personally, I think he’s really D.B. Cooper and he keeps all that money he stole from the plane in those cans.”

Asriel gave a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re ok with this, but the rest of the town? People fear what they don’t understand.”

“Then make them understand.”

“…I’d try if knew what more about what I am. Dipper was trying to help me find out but he’s gone now.”

Frisk stretched out his hand. “Then let me help.”

Asriel took it and was pulled into a hug. “Thank you, but there’s still the problem with how to deal with Gideon. He’s not the type to listen to reason.”

“There has to be some way for you to get out of this.”

Just then with a bright blue explosion appeared from the direction of the Floating Cliffs.

“What was that?” asked Asriel.

Frisk started moving. “Whatever it was, it probably means someone needs help!”

The two boys started to run in the direction the of the blast while Asriel put the pendant back on.

* * *

Frisk and Asriel weren’t the only ones moving towards the blast site, one their way the boys ran into Candy and Grenda and pretty soon it was apparent that nearly the whole town, including the local tv news, was looking at the wreckage. It appeared that the metallic statue of Gideon Gleeful, which seemed to Asriel looked more like a robot on closer inspection, had moved from next to the Mystery Shack to under the bridge connecting the abandoned mines and was the source of the blast. Dipper and Mabel stood nearby looking like they had just been put through the wringer while Gideon was climbing out looking even worse.

Deputy Durland ran over to Gideon picking him out of the wreckage. “Gideon! Oh, good heavens! What on earth happened here?”

“It was the Pines twins!” said Gideon. “They tried to attack me and blow up my statue with dynamite! Arrest 'em!”

The twins turned as sheriff Blubs took out a pair of hand cuffs. Asriel, Candy and Grenda looked on in horror as Frisk tried to get a bead on the situation.

“Officers, he's lying!” Dipper yelled.

“Sorry kids,” said the Sheriff. “But we trust Gideon. And nothing short of a miracle would ever change our…”

“AhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH!” Just then Stan drove up in his El Diablo screaming and knocking over the squad car.  Stan climbed out waving his arms wearing only a muscle shirt, boxer shorts, bedroom slippers and his usual fez. “Wait! Wait! Stop everything! I've got somethin' to say!”

“Not this guy again.”

“Just wait! Look!” Stan said running towards the robot. “You guys all think Gideon is so perfect and honest!” Stan continued in a mocking manner. "Oh! I could never tell a lie! I'm Gideon!" 

“He's more honest than you!”

“Yeah!” said Durland. “And he's psychic too!”

“How's this for psychic? Bam!” Stand kicked the Gideon-bot causing a panel to fall to off. Inside was a wall lined with monitors. “Take a good look!”

 “Wait a minute,” said Lazy Susan. “Is that ME?!”

Lazy Susan spoke on one of the monitors.

“The secret ingredient to my coffee omelet is coffee!”

Toby came up. “And me!”

“I can verify that that birthmark is indeed disgusting,” said the town doctor on another TV.

“Hooray!” said Toby in the same footage.

Asriel looked at another monitor.

“We won’t need one. Come back after dark, Candy has a plan.”

“Are we breaking and entering? If so count me in!”

“Ok. Pines Rescue Team is go!”

Stan held up a Gideon Pin. “That's right, these pins are hidden cameras! And my hearing aid was picking up the feedback! Who's the fraud now?” Stan immediately broke the pin revealing a camera in the eye of it.

The townsfolk all threw their pins on the ground and turned to Gideon with angry glares. Asriel was happy to note his parents were among them.

“Gideon, we gave you our trust…” Deputy Durland said sadly.

“You LIED to us!” growled Manly Dan Corduroy.

Gideon found himself backed against one of the robot’s arms “Please, I... It's not what it looks like... What are you gonna do with me?” 

Durland turned to one of the townsfolk. “Tyler?”

Tyler Cutebiker wiped tears from his eyes. “Get 'im…Get 'im!” 

Gideon gasped.

“Lil' Gideon,” said Sheriff Blubs. “You are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and breaking our hearts. Durland, the tiny handcuffs!”

Durland an extra small pair of handcuffs on Gideon

“Wha...no!”

Dipper and Mabel were beaming at the outcome as old friends and new looked on with pride.

Stan opened the door of the righted squad car as the police led Gideon towards him. However just as Gideon was close Stan grabbed the back of his coat. “Just one more thing.”

Stan proceeded to shake Gideon up and down causing the odds and ends to fall out of his pockets.

“Let go of me! Ow! Ow! Ow!”

Stan grabbed the deed that fell to the ground along with something else the kids couldn’t quite make out. “I believe this belongs to me.” The local news peoplecame forward to take pictures and question Stan.

Gideon however only had the police left as company. “No! No! Watch the hair! You can't do this to me! Y'all are sheep! You need me! I'll be back! You'll hear from my lawyers!”

As the squad car carried Gideon away Frisk, Candy, Grenda and Asriel looked on.

“Don’t call us,” said Grenda. “We’ll call you, NOT!”

“Uliege gam-og-eseo yeobseo bonaegi! (Send us a postcard from jail!)” said Candy.

“What goes around comes around,” said Asriel beaming and crossing his arms.

Frisk threw a DVD marked with Asriel’s name into one of the surrounding fires from the explosion. “Without this even if Gideon tells Asriel’s secret nobody is ever going to believe him now that his credibility is destroyed. No matter what he knows.”

“Oh yeah!” Asriel said. “Gideon’s journal! It might still be in the wreckage, the answers I’ve been looking for might be inside!”

“Then let’s get Dipper and Mabel and look for it together!” said Candy.

As they approached the Pines family a call came out.

“Asriel!”

They turned to find Mr. and Mrs. Shepard walking towards them looking ashamed.

“Asriel we are so sorry we didn’t believe you,” said Roger.

“Can you ever forgive us?” asked Jessica.

Asriel ran over as they knelt down. The three shared a big hug. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Gideon fooled everybody except Mr. Pines,” said Frisk. “I guess you can’t con a conman.”

“Well we talked about it with Grenda and Candy’s parents and to make up for it not only are you ungrounded Asriel but we’re taking all of you to Greasey’s Dinner for burgers and milkshakes, our treat!”

Grenda raised her fist to the sky. “Alright free food!”

“Tell our folks to get the car ready,” said Candy. “We’ll get Mabel and Dipper, they’re the real heroes today.”

* * *

A short time later six milkshake glasses clanged together. “Cheers!” came up from the children.

After the events of the last three days not even the substandard food of Greasy’s Dinner could lower the relief they all felt at Little Gideon’s arrest.

Conversation and laughter flowed like Pitt cola from the soda jerk tap.

“Really?” said Frisk. “That freak snowstorm was caused by a space lizard?”

“He was tough,” said Mabel. “But no match me, my bro and our adorable dog sled team!”

Asriel sighed a bit and stirred bit of his milkshake with his spoon.

“Yeah I know you feel,” said Dipper. “We just didn’t have enough time to find Gideon’s journal before the Fire Department came. All those mysteries we could have found gone, not to mention all that stuff about that your people and your parents.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” said Asriel. “I should have caught it when Gideon said it could tell me who my birth parents were, it was just too good to be true. He was probably lying about the whole thing.”

“The summer’s not over yet, we still have time to solve your mystery.”

“And a new friend to help you do it,” said Frisk.

“A friend who kept me from making the biggest mistake of my life,” said Asriel.

“Second biggest if you count accidently causing Tiffany Banks to fill the chemistry lab with expanding foam.”

The boys laughed a little.

“Ok Dipper we should know each other a little better,” said Frisk. “Have you ever watched Ghost Harassers?”

Dipper grinned “Have I?!”

Asriel looked out the window. Before this summer he couldn’t wait to grow up and leave town for college, now after coming so close to leaving Gravity Falls behind he couldn’t imagine a cooler or weirder place to grow up. He knew he may never find the truth of his origins, but now he was ok if it should come to that. Filling with pride for the little town he looked out the window towards his favorite mountain, and thought for a moment it was standing a little taller than normal.

* * *

She sat in a chair next to the fire holding her book with big white furry hands. A knock came at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened. “Your Majesty, Sans wishes to speak with you.”

She put the book down on the small table next to her chair. “I’ll be right there.”

As she left she gave a glance at a small picture on the table. In it two figures stood above the frame as a young child with brown hair and a white goat like creature the child’s size were picking flowers.

The room became darker as she closed the door behind her.

* * *

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